In a recent benchmark study of content marketing in the manufacturing industry, the majority of marketers described their organization as being in the early stages (first steps, young, or adolescent) of content marketing maturity. In a similar survey of content marketing effectiveness, 59% of marketers said their approach was more successful than the previous year and 82% said that success could be traced to better content creation.
Whether your organization is just starting to explore content marketing or you’ve been doing content marketing for years and are in a new content ideation phase, we’ve put together a few general content ideas for every step in the buyer’s journey to get the creative process moving.
Top of Funnel Ideas
The top of the funnel is a great stage to attract new users that may not be familiar with your product or service. These users may not know your solution exists; they may even be unaware of the problem. Top of funnel content can be found by users looking for high-level information via search engine.
Educational blog posts are going to be the most common form of top of funnel content marketing. Avoiding the hard sell messaging in this stage is important to establish your brand as the expert in your solution without driving users away or turning into white noise along with other transparent sales messaging. The best approach for top of funnel, educational blog posts is to break down complex concepts adjacent to your solution into useful and valuable insights.
With more in depth topics, creating an e-book is a great way to provide a piece of valuable long-form content. A great strategy is to break down this e-book into separate, short form blogs based on specific concepts and using those blogs to promote lead generating e-book downloads. Promoting your content’s value in a more digestible form is a great way to lead users to longer form content.
Middle of the Funnel
As users become aware of your product or service, the evaluation phase begins. This may be the longest phase in the buyer’s journey, especially in the B2B industry. This segment of the journey is essential for establishing a trusting relationship with your audience.
Comparison guides are a great way to help your audience get familiar with your offerings. A straightforward guide to outline the pros and cons of the different approaches will ultimately empower your potential customers to make the right decision. An educated customer making an informed decision is the surest way to a delighted and engaged buyer.
Case studies deliver real world examples of how existing customers have benefited from your product or service for potential customers. It’s important to have a wide variety of case studies for your entire suite of offerings to help validate your product or service.
Bottom of the Funnel
At the bottom of the funnel should be content that will either help nudge your potential customers into actual buyers or delight your buyers with content that maximizes their use of your product or service. Remember, the best way to build a long term customer is to nurture them even after the sale.
Product videos have become an incredibly strong tool in content marketing for B2B manufacturers. Across the web, video has become the most consumed form of content. An impactful video will not only affirm your brand messaging in the final steps of the buyer’s journey, but also give your potential customers an easily digestible view to help with their final decision making.
While video is a critical component in your content mix, specs sheets and brochures are still very relevant, especially in the B2B industry. Making your spec sheets and brochures readily available and easy to find will make the buying process much easier for your audience and drive a higher conversion rate.
Creating valuable content is the first step in establishing your brand as a highly sought after resource in your industry. By positioning yourself as a thought leader and the “go to” source of information, you’ll build a following of potential customers. For help with content marketing, from ideation and creation to distribution and promotion, contact Saturn Lounge. We’d love to work with you!